Automatic figure toy.



L. SAXON,

AUTOMATIC FIGURE TOY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9.1911.

Patented Apr. 2,1918;

L6L30U g EINVENTOR ATTORNEY LOUIS SAXON, OF MIONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

1,2c1,3oo.

Specification of Letters Patent.

AUTOMATIC FIGURE TOY.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed July 9, 1917. Serial N 0. 179,322.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS SAXON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mono clair, in the county of Essex and. State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Automatic Figure Toy, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a figure toy or doll which will move automatically from a recumbent to an upright position, and more particularly one which may first be caused to assume asitting position and then to stand erect. This is accomplished by the means set forth hereinafter, it being understood that the construction disclosed is the preferred embodiment and that other, broadly equivalent, forms may be devised.

, In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a doll embodying the invention, a portion of the skirt be ing torn away the better to illustrate parts within;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the mechanism, erect;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof; and

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the mechanism in the recumbent position, the upper link being shown upright, in the sitting position, in dotted lines.

The preferred construction shown inthese views will now be briefly described.

A doll body 1 extends downward to the point 2in Fig. 1, and from it hangs the skirt or drapery 3, which may be held out and away from the mechanism within by a wide, helical, very flexible, sprlng 4, fastened at a bottom disk 5.

Secured to said bottom disk is a base memher or bracket 6, to which are pivoted the lowerends of a pair of long arallel links 7,8. The pivots 9,10 are at d1 erent heights, the front pivot 9 being the higher, and a line joining the centers being approximately at a 415 inclination. The upper portions of these links, below their upper ends, are connected by a short link 11, which is parallel to said line of centers. The three links andthe base thus form a jointed parallelogram, of which the long links are in contact in the upright position, so as to prevent forward movement, while" permitting the parallelogram to be swung rearward anddownward to an approximately horizontal position. A spring 12 serves to erect the lower link age, and a catch 13 to hold it when laid backward. The spring 12 may be a helical tension spring, and is anchored to lugs 14, 15 on the two long links, the relation of which is such that the rearward and downward movement of the linkage tensions the spring, which therefore tends to raise the linkage when the catch is disengaged.

The catch 13 is pivoted to the upward projection of the front long link 7, and has a hooked end 16 to engage with a shoulder 17 on the rear end of the short link 11. A spring 18, which may be a piece of resilient wire passed through eyelet pivots 19 and 20 and bearing against a flange 21 on the catch, urges the catch into engagement with the shoulder 17 when the parallelogram is in its lowered position.

An upper link 22 is pivoted to the upward projection of the rear long link 8 at 23 and carries the doll body, into which it may be entered, as indicated in Fig. 1. This link is raised by a spring 24, which may be a helical. tension spring connected to lugs 25 and 26 on the links 22 and 11. In the recumbent position of the doll corresponding to the full lines of Fig. 4:, this spring may pass below the center of the pivot 23, so as to hold the upper link and the doll body down. Because of the weight of the body and friction, however, this relation is not essential; and,

to insure a quicker response when the doll is to sit up, the spring may even be disposed so as to pass a little above the pivot center.

A Stop lug 27 on the link 22 prevents this link being bent backward from the lower linkage. one end to the body and at the other end to When the doll is in the lying down position corresponding to the full lines of Fig. 4, a slight blow or pressure exerted downward upon its intermediate portion will cause the upper link 22 to flex sufficiently with respect to the lower linkage to enable the spring 24: to raise said link to the dotted line position, causing the doll to sit up. The upper link and the doll body are held erect and prevented from forward movement at this time by the link coming in contact with the back of the catch 13. If now the doll be pushed or patted upon the back the upper link 22 pressing upon the catch 13 above its pivot disengages the same from the link 11, thereby permitting the spring 12 to raise the parallelogram. During this movement the upward projection of the link 7 moves relatively outward, and the projection of link 8 relatively inward, so that when erect link 7 extends beyond link 8, whereas in the recumbent condition the reverse is true; and this relative movement is utilized to keep the upper link 22 and the doll body upright while the lower linkage is being raised. The specific effect is that the back of the catch 13 presses against the front of the link 22 during said movement, so as to flex link 22 rearward with reference to the lower linkage, with the result that the upper link is kept upright while the lower linkage swings for ward and upward. In the upright position of the doll shown in Fig. 3, the upper link 22 is braced by the catch 13 against forward movement and by the stop 27 against rearward movement.

It will be understood that the springs will require to be adjusted according to the weight and size of the doll. Preferably the spring 2 1 is made strong enough to raise the body to the sitting position, but not to d1sengage the catch 13, which serves as a stop. If desired, however, the said spring may be given sufiicient tension to trip the catch, so that the doll moves immediately from lying down to sitting and then to standing position, practically in one movement.

Operating in the reverse direction, the doll is first caused to sit, after which it may be made to lie down. This may be effected by pushing downward and rearward'upon the doll body, bringing the parts to the sitting position. The catch 13 and the shoulder 17 of the link 11 are now in engagement. The upper link 22 carrying the doll body may now be laid back, in which condition these parts are held either by their own weight or by the spring 2% being carried below the center of pivot 23. The lower end of the link 22 and the catch are preferably so formed and arranged as to cause the said link to force the catch into complete engagement with the shoulder 17 when the link 22 is swung backward and downward into this position.

It will be understood that in the foregoing operations it is necessary to hold the base 5, as by pressing it against an underlying sup port.

What I claim as new is:

1.. The combination with a doll body and a base, of a jointed structure connecting the same comprising an upper part to which the doll body is secured, a lower part pivotally connected to the base and to which the up per part is pivoted, spring means for erecting said jointed parts, and means for holding them in recumbent position.

2. The combination with a doll body and a base, of lower linkage comprising a pair of long links pivoted to the base, a short link plvotally connecting the long links, an upper link pivotally connected to the lower linkage and carrying the doll body, a spring for erecting the upper link, a spring for t. The combination with a doll body and a base, of lower linkage comprising a pair of long links pivoted to the base, a short link pivotally connecting the long links, an upper link pivotally connected to the lower linkage and carrying the doll body, a spring for erectingthe upper link, said spring being connected to the upper link and to the lower linkage, a spring for erecting the lower linkage, and a catch for holding the lower linkage which is disengaged by the upper link.

5. The combination with a doll body and a base, of lower linkage comprising a pair of long links pivoted to. the base, a short link pivotally connecting the long links, an upper link pivotally connected to the lower linkage and carrying the doll body, a spring for erecting the upper link, a spring for erecting the lower linkage, said spring being connected to the pair of long links, and a catch for holding the lower linkagewhich is disengaged by the upper link.

' 6. The combination with a doll body and a base, of a pair of long parallel linlks pivoted to the base at dili'erent heights, a short link pivotally connected to said long links below their upper ends and forming with the long links and the basea parallelogram, a catch pivoted on the upward projection of the forward long link cooperative with the short link, a spring for raising the parallelogram, an upper link carrying the doll body pivoted to the upward projection of the rear long link, and a spring for raising said upper link.

I. The combination with a doll body and a base, of a pair of long parallel links pivoted to the base at different heights, a short link pivotally connected to said long links below their upper ends and forming with the long links and the base a parallelogram, a catch pivoted on the upward projection of the forward long link cooperative with the short link, a spring for raising the parallelogram, an upper link carrying the doll'body pivoted to the upward projection of the rear long link, and a spring for raise ing said upper link, said upper link being formed to force'said catch into engagement when the upper link is swung down to recumbent position. 7

8. The combination with a doll body and a base, of a pair of long parallel links pivoted to the base at diflerent heights, a short link pivotally connected to said long links below their upper ends and forming with the long links and the base a parallelogram, a catch pivoted on the upward projection of the forward long link cooperative with the short link, a spring for raising the parallelogram, an upper link carrying the doll body pivoted to the upward projection of the rear long link, and a spring for raising said upper link, said .upper link and the catch being so formed and positioned that the catch braces the upper link in the erect position of the whole.

9. The combination with a doll body and a base, of a pair of long parallel links pivoted to the base at different heights, a short link pivotally connected to said long links below their upper ends and forming with a the long links and the base a parallelogram,

a catch pivoted on the upward projection of the forward long link cooperative with the short link, a spring for raising the parallelogram, an upper link carrying the doll body pivoted to the upward projection of the rear long link, a spring for raising said upper link, and a stop for limiting backward movement of the upper link relative to the parallelogram.

10. The combination with a doll body and a base, of a pair of long parallel links pivoted to the base at different heights, a short link pivotally connected to said long links below their upper ends and forming with the long links and the base a parallelogram, a catch pivoted on the upward projection of the forward long link cooperative with the short link, a spring for? raising the parallelogram, an upper link carrying the doll body pivoted to the upward projection of the rear long link, and a spring for raising said upper link, said latter spring being connected to the upper link and to the parallelogram at points preserving a substantially uniform condition of this spring when the parallelogram is erected.

11. The combination with a doll body and a base, of a pair of long parallel links pivoted to the base at diiferent heights, a short link pivotally connected to said long links below their upper ends and forming with the long links and the base a parallelogram, said long links when erect being in contact and mutually bracing each other, a catch pivoted on the upward projection of the forward long link cooperative with the short link, a spring for raising the parallelogram, an upper link carrying the doll body pivoted to the u Ward projection of the rear long link, an a spring for raising said upper link.

LOUIS SAXON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

